December 2011

The Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations has the honour to inform the reelection of Mr. Pastor Elías Murrillo on november 30th, for a second period of four years to the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD).

This Committee is a body composed of 18 independent experts with recognized expertise in human rights. The Committee reviews the periodic reports of States Parties to the Convention and additionally, has the function to apply mechanisms such as the early-warning procedure, the examination of inter-state complaints and the examination of individual complaints.

Mr. Murillo was a proponent of the initiative that got the approval of Resolution 64/169 at the General Assembly of the UN, which proclaimed 2011 as International Year of African Descent. In Colombia, he worked as Deputy Director of Black Communities, Ethnic Minorities and Cultural Rights to the Ministry of Interior and Justice, Director of Community Affairs of the Ministry of Interior Black and worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Colombia.

During the debate on Civilian Capacity in the Aftermath of Conflict, that took place on December 2 in the General Assembly, Ambassador Néstor Osorio talked about the areas developed by United Nations in order to support national efforts and demands on the field. In this sense, Colombia referred to the report of the Secretary General and the progress, challenges and recommendations to address more effectively the ownership, partnership, expertise and nimbleness.